The first time I grew cauliflower, it turned out perfectly. I thought… this is easy! I grew cauliflower again the following year and there were plenty of volunteers for the “what’s wrong with my cauliflower?” pictures.Learn what’s wrong with your cauliflower (and how to fix it!) in this blog post.
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What’s wrong with my cauliflower?
Are you wondering, “What’s wrong with my cauliflower?”
Cauliflower is a cool-weather crop in the Brassica family (which includes cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts). It’s trickier to grow than its relatives because it doesn’t like it too hot … or too cold. It is also very sensitive to moisture and doesn’t like to have soggy roots or dry out.
Discoloration or purple-tinged edges in white varieties of cauliflower
Pink or purple-tinged cauliflower is often caused by exposure to sunlight. To prevent this, cover head by blanching.
To blanch cauliflower:
When head is visible and about 2 inches wide, clip outer leaves together with a clothespin to cover head and keep out of sunlight. Clip together loosely and check occasionally for pests and growth, or to let dry out after a rain.
Bitter tasting cauliflower
Bitter tasting cauliflower can be caused by too much heat or sun. It can also taste bitter from a lack of moisture, uneven watering, waiting too long to harvest, or overcooking.
If bitter cauliflower has been a problem, try growing purple varieties (they tend to be less bitter).
Loose heads or buttoning (very small head or several small heads)
Buttoning cauliflower can be caused by young plants being exposed to several days of freezing temperatures. It can also be caused by a lack of water or nitrogen, or waiting too long to harvest. Remove plant; it will not recover.
When cauliflower is covered in small flowers, it may mean you waited too long to harvest. Cauliflower has bolted and is focused on producing seeds. The plant becomes bitter and inedible.Remove plant; it will not recover.
To prevent cauliflower flowering in the future, harvest sooner.
Cauliflower bolting
Bolting happens when the ground reaches a certain temperature (usually too hot). The plant wants to ensure survival, and shifts to producing flowers and seeds rapidly. Remove plant; it will not recover.
Rotate where you plant brassicas (cauliflower, broccoli, kale, etc.) each season to help prevent pest and disease problems from building up in the soil.
Read here for more tips to prevent pests and diseases organically in the garden.
Bitter tasting cauliflower can be caused by too much heat or sun. It can also taste bitter from a lack of moisture, uneven watering, waiting too long to harvest, or overcooking. If bitter cauliflower has been a problem, try growing purple varieties (they tend to be less bitter).
This condition is usually associated with periods of extremely warm weather, with day-time air temperatures over 86°F and night-time air temperatures over 77°F. Other factors that can cause a lack of head formation include mechanical injury, insect damage, and bird feeding.
Fertilization. Apply 1/2 cup per 10 feet of row of a nitrogen based fertilizer (21-0-0) 4 weeks after transplanting or thinning. This encourages vigorous leaf growth which is necessary for high yields. Place the fertilizer 6 inches to the side of the plants and irrigate it into the soil.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency start on older leaves. Chlorosis between the veins progresses from the margins to the middle of the leaflets. The veins remain green and white respectively. Severe deficiency leads to necrotic spots between the veins.
Deficiency symptoms: Marked reduction in growth with erect and thin stems. Leaves turn pale green, becoming yellow, bronzed, pink or purple as the leaf ages, with leaf abscission in extreme cases. In turnip, cauliflower and young swedes the predominant colour change is to yellow-orange.
You would normally expect to see the head about 3 to 4 months after planting out. So if you only planted it in July, then you probably won't see a head forming for another few weeks. However, if you planted them back in May, then you should hopefully have seen a head forming by now.
Other telltale signs of spoilage for cauliflower include mold, off-smells, slimy texture, or soft spots. Per Does it Go Bad?, cauliflower is supposed to be firm to the touch. Once you see soft spots or examples of slimy texture, the cauliflower should definitely be thrown out.
Cauliflower likes temperatures in the 60s. In young cauliflower plants there is a fine balance between leaf and head growth. Any stress tips the balance toward premature heading, or "buttoning," when the plant makes tiny button-sized heads. This can happen when it's too hot or too cold.
Cauliflower needs very fertile soil, with plenty of nitrogen. You can do this by providing your cauliflower bed with lots of high-nitrogen compost (well-rotted and made with lots of coffee grounds or some manure) and giving it a higher-nitrogen organic fertilizer once or twice during its life.
Suitable for feeding a variety of vegetables such as tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, plus trees, shrubs and flowers. Epsom Salts has very high magnesium content. This nutrient is vital to the healthy growth and development of all plants.
One to two inches of water per week — including rainfall — is best. Consider installing a drip irrigation system to keep the soil moist but not drench. To retain moisture between rain and supplemental watering, apply 2–3 inches of organic mulch around the plants, such as shredded leaves or straw.
This is usually caused by one of two things - damage to the growing tip of the plant, or fluctuating temperature. Cauliflower heads grow from the top of the plant, known botanically as the terminal bud. If the terminal bud is damaged or removed the plant will not form a head.
f your cauliflower variety has white heads, you'll want to ensure a bright white head by covering it as it grows. This is called blanching. When the head reaches about the size of an egg, pull the longest leaves up and over it, then secure them in place with twine or an elastic band.
Cover plants with a fine mesh netting to deter caterpillars, and string up some old CDs to deter birds. If you do find eggs or caterpillars on your cauliflower plants, transfer them to nasturtium leaves, which they also eat.
As The Kitchn notes, cauliflower does see oxidative brown spots naturally, but it's not time to toss the cauliflower until the color turns from light brown to dark brown or black. That's the point of no return. Other telltale signs of spoilage for cauliflower include mold, off-smells, slimy texture, or soft spots.
Bolting is one of the most significant issues when growing cauliflower. This is when plants produce a tall centre stalk which will have a few small buds and flowers, rather than forming the expected compact head.
The most common symptom of boron deficiency in cauliflower in the field are poor and discolored curd formation, which frequently renders the crop unsuitable for marketing. The pith is especially liable to develop water-soaked areas, and to become necrotic and ultimately hollow.
It's the same change that occurs when the flesh of sliced apples turns brown, and when ground meat turns gray. The good news is that you can still cook with this cauliflower. While the discoloration doesn't look appealing, it's harmless as long as the spots haven't turned a dark color or have a mushy texture.
Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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